3 Questions the Packers Need Answered Down the Stretch

December is here, and that means the NFL regular season is winding down. The Packers currently sit in second place in the NFC North, just 0.5 games back of the Chicago Bears. They would be seeded sixth in the NFC if the playoffs started today. With only five games left in the regular season, the Packers control their own destiny.

Two of the Packers’ next three games are against the Bears, giving them an excellent opportunity to take control of the NFC. Two wins over Chicago could potentially give Green Bay at least a 1.5 game lead in the division with only two weeks remaining. None of the remaining games will be easy, but the Packers have a say in how it will play out.

Green Bay is currently riding a three game winning streak and starting to play better complimentary football, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some major question marks. The Packers need to be playing their best brand of football down the stretch, but that’s not a given to happen. In this column, there are three questions posed that will determine how the final five games turn out.

Who Is Going to Step Up on the Defensive Line?

The interior of the Packers’ defensive line is getting thin. The Packers found out Devonte Wyatt will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury. “Yeah, it’s tough,” LaFleur said Monday. “Certainly, he’s a guy who’s going to be pretty tough to replace.”

“It falls on everyone else to raise the level of their game,” LaFleur said. “I think everything is up in the air, but I think we have confidence in the guys who have been playing and doing a good job. It’d be nice to get Karl Brooks back out there, and the two young guys are going to have to get more reps, Brinson and Stack. We’ll handle it that way.”

The Packers are left with four defensive tackles: Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson, and Nazir Stackhouse. That’s a pretty sparse room. They did sign a new defensive lineman yesterday, Jordon Riley, from the New York Giants practice squad, but he’s not going to solve the problem on his own.

One of the potential solutions could’ve been using Lukas Van Ness on the interior, but he’s dealing with a foot injury that will likely keep him out for the foreseeable future. Not to mention, Karl Brooks is also dealing with an ankle injury that forced him to miss last week’s game. Not only is the room thin, but it’s also banged up.

Green Bay has a daunting schedule ahead of strong rushing offenses. The Bears and Ravens both are top-five in rushing yards and explosive rushes. The Packers will need to find a solution to fortify the interior, or the final five games will be very difficult to win.